Pick-up device for sound picture apparatus



@et 3l, 1934?, A F VICTQR 1,933940@ PICKUP DEVICE FOR SOUND PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9. 1931 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l ff f g /Cgl /7 lull-HWI l IIL! WM A11 @CL 3l, 1933, Ai F, VLC-[QR 1,933,490)

PICK-UP DEVICE FOR SOUND PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 /f/f' .f 40 47 /3 e a i f5 l /A/ VEN T012 Patented Oct. 3l, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PICK-UP DEVICE FOR SOUND PICTURl APPARATUS Alexander Ferdinand Victor, New York, N. Y. Application December 9, 1931. Serial No. 579,8'57

` 16 claims. (Cl. 274-1) object the provision of a structure of this char- .acter that will maintain the needle or stylus in an absolutely correct position relative to the sound grooves or score upon the record.

In the production of sound or phonograph records in the form of relatively thin disks it has been the practice to indent a face of the disk with a score groove sound Wave line that is substantially spiral with respect to the axis of rotation of the disk, and the sound undulations which are formed within said grooves are picked up by a needle or stylus that is carried by a reproducer box or other device in close proximity to the record. These reproducer boxes are usually carried upon the end of the tone arm that is mounted upon a fixed pivot outside of and beyond the periphery of record disk and the turn table upon which it is mounted, and as both the disk and turntable are flat and in a horizontal plane, the stylus usually supported upon the disk by the weight of the box and arm, While the arm swings across the disk in an arc struck from the center of its pivot.

Such being the case the stylus must move in an arc or segmental path from the edge towards the central portion of the disk during the reproduction of any given record and during only at a very small portion of this transverse travel does the needle or stylus engage in what might be termed perfect or 100% alinement with the minute sound undulations in the score groove. This necessarily results in an imperfect reproduction of the tones recorded on the disk because some of the undulations are never engaged by the stylus.

With my present structure I have arranged the parts in such manner that the` stylus will at all times engage the sound groove in the record disk in absolutely perfect alinement therewith and its movement across the disk will be in a true straight radial plane towards the axis of rotation of the disk and will thus be enabled to engage and pick up each and every minute sound undulation recorded upon the disk. I accomplish this by mounting the sound box and stylus (pick-up) upon a swinging carrier or arm that is constantly maintained in a xed relation to the sound groove. This is don( by utilizing gravity acting in the manner of a pendulum on its fulcrum or pivot. The pivot of the pendulous member is carried by a rocking structure in the form of vbar extending up from a segmental shaped base that rests on a straight track. This permits the stylus to remain in perfect alinement and engagement with the record groove or sound groove in the disk at 6 all times from the start to the finish of a record so thatthe stylus will not deviate from its perfect registration and alinement and thus become effected by each undulation in the groove.

While an ordinary phonograph reproducer with its tone arm and amplier horn may be employed, I prefer to utilize an electro-magnet pick-up device that is electrically connected with a tone and volume control which in turn leads to an amplifier with a dynamic loud-speaker in the manner of radio reproduction and amplication.

One of the numerous objects in mind is to provide a structure of the 'character above suggested that accomplishes its purpose in a novel manner through the medium of simply constructed parts that operate eiliciently and dependably. Another object is to provide a device of this character that is simple to operate so that the apparatus may be readily used by an amateur who may be unfamiliar with the operation of machines of this character. A further object resides in providing a pick-up for phonograph records that is readily removable and adjustable and which may be easily knockedj` Figure 1 is a vertical side elevation of an apparatus for producing talking pictures and showing my pick-up device incorporated therewith in operative position relative to the sound disk.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1, parts of the pick-up device and its support being shown in section and the projector apparatus being omitted, the base of the support being in transverse section on line 2-2 of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is an axial section taken through the pivotal connection between the rocking arm and the pendulum bar.

Figure 4 is a detailed enlarged view of the lower portion f the rocker arm and its guiding support, portions thereof being in section.

The drawings are to be understood as more or less schematic for the purpose of disclosing a typical or preferred form in which my invention may be made, and in said drawings similar reference characters are employed to designate like parts wherever they appear throughout' the several views. y

, The projector apparatus herein shown which is considered as typical of other similar devices consists of a supporting plate 10 upon which the base 11 of the projector is secured, a standard 12 extends up from the base and on the upper end thereof the casing 13 of the projector mechanism is mounted. Included in the casing is the lamp house 14 and an electromotor 15 that drives the film feeding mechanism and the phonograph record. There is a suitable gear connection between the motor and the feed lm mechanism, part of which is in operative connection with a horizontal spindle 16 that projects out of opposite sides of thev casing to points clear of the other parts of the projector, one extended end of the spindle carrying a film engagingsprocket (not shown).

A turn table 17 is secured to the other extended end of the driven spindle 16 so that said turn table revolves in a vertical plane, and the usual phonograph disk or sound record 18 is removably carried by the turn table by means of a clamping thumb screw 19 that screws upon the threaded end of the spindle 16. Thus, when the projector apparatus is being driven by the motor 15 the spindle 16 will rotate in the proper direction, preferably clockwise as shown in Figure 1, and in a vertical plane so that said disk and its turn table are close to the side "of the projector apparatus. I

The sound grooves upon the record are madey in the usual manner and describe a continuous core line spiral upon the outer face of the disk as suggested by the concentric lines found on Figure 1.

The pick-up device which is here shown may be of any well-known and adapted type and it comprises a small box 21 that is substantially U- shaped in top view and has a socket 22 to receive the stylus or needle 23 that is removably held therein by means of the set screw 24 so that said needle or stylus may be removed-or replaced wherever it is desired.l The mechanism within the box 21 for picking up the sound undulations from the record disk is, in the present disclosure, of the electromagnetic type which is readily purchasable upon the market and which is described in detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 553,971 for synchronizing motion picture and sound records. The electromagnetic pick-up elements are in circuit, through'a lead cord 25 with a volume and tone control device andan amplifier unit having a dynamic speaker in the manner that is well known in the radio art.

The pick-up box 21 is carried upon the upper portion of the vertically disposed pendulous bar 26 in the manner shown in the drawings. The bar, as will be obvious from the drawings, is of channel shape in cross section and it has a weight 27 at its lower end to cause it to swingingly hang in vertical position upon its fulcrum. At its upper end the pendulum is provided with a head 28 having a at seat 29 that is disposed at an inclined angle, as shown in Figure 2 to which the pick-up box 21 is secured.

The manner of supporting the pendulum bar 26 consists of a rocking, arm that has its lower end seated and guided in a track in the manner shown. The rocker arm, designated as 30 in the drawings, is supported in such manner that it inclines slightly inwardly toward the turn table and record disk and its upper portion 3l is deected from the plane of its main portion so that its said upper portion is substantially parallel with the pendulum bar and the turn table and record. The deected portion 31 of the rocker arm has a longitudinally elongated slot 32 to guide and adjustably receive the fulcrum struc-l shoulders 38 and 36 respectively and are dis' posed upon opposite faces of the upper portion of rocker arm 30 in the manner shown in section in Figure 3. The lower edges of these plates 41 and 42 are provided with lateral inturned lugs 43 that enter the slot 32 and assist in guiding these plates and the fulcrum structure when the latter 'is adjusted upon and down in the slot 22. Just above the lugs the plates 42 are provided with holes 44 through which the conductor cord 2 5 passes .clear of the rocker arm pendulum bar.

The other portion of the spindle is reduced at 45 to provide another shoulder 46, and a collar 47 surrounds this reduced portion 45 and abuts the shoulder 46, and it is maintained in assembly by the head of a small lock screw 48 screwed into a threaded bore in the adjacent end of the spindle. The adjacent wall of the pendulum bar 26 is provided with an aperture that engages the outer surface of the collar 47 and swings thereon. The

Acollar is preferably shouldered and threaded to receive a tubular sleeve screw 49 and the inner portion of the head 28, that fits between the walls of the pendulum bar 26 is provided with an oil'- set portion 50 and with an aperture below the same so that the portion of the head around the aperture engages the shouldered portion of the collar 47 and the sleeve Screw 49 maintains the parts in assembly.

The foregoing structure permits the pendulum bar to hang vertically vno matter at what position or angle the rocker arm 30 may take with respect thereto.

The rocker arm extends upwardly from a segmental shaped rocker'51, the curvature of which describes a long sweep in the manner shown in Figs. 1- and 4 and said rocker is mounted in a suitable track or guide carried upon a supporting plate 52. As seen in Figures 1 and 4, the supporting plate 52 has upstanding lugs or ears 53 at its end that are apertured to receive a round rod 52 that may rotate in said aperture in the manner hereinafter explained. The rod is in yso llU

such position that the rocker I rests thereon, and

on account of the rod being round in cross section and the rocker 50 being of segmental shape there is but slight frictional contact between these 5 parts, the contact being what is technically known as a point contact as distinguished from a line contact.

The guiding means for the rocker consists of an elongated plate 55 that is bent intermediate its ends into a U-shape (see Fig. 2), the space between the parallel members of the U-shaped formation being greater than the thickness of the adjacent segmental portion 51 of the rocker arm so that there will be a free interfltting of these parts.

'Ihe end portions of the guide member 55 are `formed into tubular knuckles 56 that surround the adjacent portions of the rod 54 and are clamped thereon to secure the guide to the rod. One of the side members of the guide 55 is provided with an irregular or triangularly shaped recess 57, as detailed in Figure 4, that has a restricted throat 58 that opens the recess through the edge of the member. A stop pin 59 projects from the segmental portion 51 of the rocker arm 30 into said recess and when the arm is rocked on the rod 54 to swing or incline the arm 30, as shown in Figure 1, said pin 59 will engage one orthe other upper corners of the recess 5'1 and thereby limits the rocking motion of the arm 30. The throat 58 permits the rocker arm to be withdrawn when it is in a vertical position by lifting the same straight out from the guide allowing the pin 59 to pass through said throat.

The base or supporting plate 52 is provided on its bottom with cushion or rubber feet 60 to prevent slippage. When the structure is in use it is placed beside the grooved face of the phonograph record with the rocker arm 30 inclined substantially in the manner shownin Figure 2 so that the pendulum bar 26 will hang in a vertical manner upon its fulcrum and the stylus will engage the sound grooves. This position is in a horizontal plane extending across the record disk through the axis of rotation of the turn table. 'I'he position shown in Figure 1 is at or near the inner end of the sound groove, it of course being understood that when the device is started the stylus will engage the outermost groove upon the record and the rocker arm will be tilted or inclined upon the opposite side of a vertical plane indicated by the broken line a: in Figure 1. The stylus, due to curvature of the segmental portion 51 of the rocker arm will travel across the face of the record always in the same horizontal plane toward the axis of rotation of the sound record while the latter is rotating clockwise (Fig. 1) and will pick-up the sound undulations from the record in the manner which will be lunderstood by persons skilled in the art. The weight 27 on the pendulum arm maintains the latter always in a vertical plane and as said weight and said pendulum arm are disposed between the inclined rocker arm 30 and the record disk and turn table, the rocker arm, stylus and sound box will be constantly urged by gravity toward the record with suicient degree of pressure to maintain the stylus in proper engagement with and true registration with the a sound grooves.

The arm 30, in addition to having its rocking motion across the face of the record, has a tilting movement towards and away from the record or transverse to its swinging plane. This permits the structure to have the functions and accomral plish the special objects and advantages herein ascribed to it.

Whaty I claim is:-

1.An`v apparatus oi' the kind described comprising a rotatable vertical sound record, a sound pick-up device having a stylus that engages said record, a pendulous member on which said pickup is mounted,and a rocker-arm on which said member is fulcrumed, said member being disposed between said record and said rocker-arm.

2. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a rotatable vertical sound record, a sound pick-up device having a stylus that engages said record, a pendulous member on which said pickup is mounted, a rocker-arm movable across the face of said record, and a lateral element on the upper portion of said arm upon which said member is pendently supported.

3. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a rotatable vertical sound record, a sound pick-up device having a stylus that engages said record, a rocker arm having its support below the axis of rotation of said record, and a pendulous member pivotally carried by said rocker-arm, said sound pick-up device being mounted on said member and movable in a substantially true horizontal plane.

4. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a rotatable vertical sound record, an arm inclined towards said record, a segmentally shaped foot from which said arm extends and upon which it rests, a horizontal substantially straight guide track on which said foot rests and rocks, a sound pick-up device supported by said arm and coacting with the face of said record, and means coacting with said arm and eiective thereon to urge it towards said record.

5. An apparatus of the kind described com-. prising a rotatable vertical sound record, an arm inclined towards said record, a segmentally shaped foot from which said arm arises, a U- shaped guide-track between the sides of which .n said footrestsand rocks, a sound pick-up device supported by said arm and coacting with the face of said record, and a weight on said arm tending to urge it towards said record.

6. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a rotatable vertical sound record, an arm inclined towards said record, a .segmentally shaped foot from which said arm arises, a channeled strip in which said foot is guided, means for mounting said strip for transverse movement,

a sound pick-up device coacting with the face of said record and movable with said arm and a pendulous member suspended from said arm and adapted to maintain said pick-up device in a constant horizontal plane while in coaction with ysaid record.

7. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a rotatable vertical sound record, a sound pick-up device coacting with the face of said record, a rocking member and a pendulous member associated with said pick-up device whereby the latter is capable of movement across the face of the record in a constant horizontal plane from the edge toward'the center of said record.

8. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a rotatable vertical sound record, a sound pick-up device coacting with the face of said record, and a structure on which said pick-up device 145 is mounted, said structure having a rocking movement in front of said record and a pendulous action with respect to said pick-up device, whereby to maintain the latter in a constant horizontal plane during movement across the record. 15D

9. The combination with a vertically disposed sound record, of an upstanding arm extending alongside said record and movable across the face thereof, a rocker foot at the lower portion of said arm upon which the arm is supported and moved across the face of said record, and a sound pickup device supported by said arm and coacting with the face of said record.

10. The combination with a vertically disposed sound record, of an upstanding arm extending alongside said record, and movable across the face thereof, a segmentally shaped extension on the lower end of said arm that rests upon and rolls upon a horizontal surface to move said arm in an oscillatory manner with respect to the face of said record, and a sound pick-up device on the upper portion of said arm and coacting with the face of said record.

11. The combination with a verticallydisposed sound record, of an upright arm inclined upwardly towards said record, a segmentally shaped rocker foot at the lower end of said arm for supporting the same in a manner to permit said arm to be moved towards and from the record and to Iosoillate across the face thereof, and a sound pickmecano@ rotatable sound record, of an upstanding support having a segmental lower portion on which it rests and rocks across the face of the record parallel to the latter, said support leaning towards said record, and a sound pick-up device on said support and engaged with the face of said record. 14. The combination with a vertically disposed rotatable sound record, of an upstanding support having a segmental lower portion on which it rests and rocks across the face of the record parallel to the latter, a sound pick-up device on said support and engaged with the face of said record, and means pendent from said support and suspended between the support and record tending to urge the former towards the latter.

15. The combination with a vertically disposed rotatable sound record, of an upstanding support having a segmental lower portion on which it rests and rocks across the face of the record parallel to the latter, a sound pick-up device on said support and engaged with the face of said record, and a pendulum suspended from the upper portion of said support and disposed between the support and record whereby to normally urge the former towards the latter.

16. The combination with a vertically disposed rotatable sound record, of an upstanding member and means mounting and supporting said member for a rocking movement across the face of the record parallel to the latter, and a sound pick-up devicemaintained by said member in engagement with said record, said pick-up device traveling in a straight line towards and away from the edge of the record. J

ALEXANDER FERDINAND VICTOR.. 

